A blog on organic food and everything else about living in harmony with nature.

I met Rag from Himalayan Premium Foods through Vinitha from Nutrihub Culinary Art. Rag’s husband owns an organic farm in Nepal and Rag started a company to import organically grown foods form her husband’s family farm as well as other neighbouring organic farmers bi-monthly.

It was a pleasure meeting with Rag who lets me have a test of Nepalese Rosemary. I was overwhelmed (in a good way, of course) of its strong smell. Rag told me Nepalese herbs and plants have a stronger taste and smell than similar foods here. It is amazing how the different altitudes, temperatures and climate influence the produces in different ways.

In my second meeting with Rag to pick up my order of seasonal foods (usually every other Thursday after 3pm), she urges me to try the Cheurii Honey and Mustard Blossom Honey. It is really interesting how different honey can taste! Apparently the taste and flavour of honey depends on the kind flowers the bees visit. I like both honey, they taste very light and yet flavourful.

You can join HPF’s mailing list to be informed of the next shipment. Rag’s store is located at Peninsula Hotel Shopping Centre (3 Coleman Street, #04-27, Singapore 179804). They provide delivery service too.

We are excited to have a new stockist in central Singapore. That Health Store@Arcade (Raffles Place) is well-stocked with organic health products and fresh produce which you will love. Pop by their store and and say hi to store partners Kim & Jo, who will always be willing to share wth you health tips and recipes.

Jo and Kim got to know about us through recommendations of our products by their customers (a big thank you!). If you would like to see our products at your favourite store, please help us have a shout out or drop us an email to let us know!

Typically, at the beginning of every new year, health fitness clubs and yoga centres see membership increase the most. New year it seems, have the magic of instilling in us renewed hopes and aspirations, as well as the determination to make good changes in our lives.

Sweng and I recently signed up subscription for Headspace, an app that guides you in meditation. Both of us have been using the free version of the app for some time and like it enough to subscribe to the new version to get more contents.

The guided meditation is voiced by Headspace founder Andy Puddicombe, who used to be a monk. The app has gained quite a success and became a global phenomenon, winning over even well-known personalities such as Richard Branson, Tim Ferriss and Kevin Rose.

Meditation has been practised for a long time and its benefits on brain functions were proven scientifically – it speeds up brain processing capability, lessens anxiety, increase immunity, decreases pain and fosters rapid memory recall. It even reduces the risk of heart diseases.

And not just physically, meditation also contributes to our emotional well-being. Long-term meditation helps to increase mindfulness and in turn has a positive effect on happiness and interpersonal relationship. These benefits are helpful towards building meaningful social relations, makes us more focused and attentive in work as well as being more creative.

Now, knowing the benefits of meditation is one thing, actually doing it and keeping the habit is quite another. Back to the topic of New Year’s resolutions, why are they infamously difficult to keep? These are a few main reasons I have gathered:

Why New Year’s Resolutions Are Often Broken:

We simply set too many of them.

There is a lack of specific plan to execute.

There is an inertia to change (even when we know the benefits of the change)

Lack of determination causes new habits to break easily.

How I Plan to Make My New Year’s Resolutions work:

1. Make one resolution at a time – to create and sustain a habit of meditation.

2. Be specific – meditate twice a day, once in the morning, and once before bed.

3. Broadcast my resolution – by telling everyone in this blog. 😉

4. Have a program to help keep it going – The Headspace app I signed up has a tracking system and various levels to spur me to go further.

5. Buddy up – my husband Sweng signed up Headspace too so we can encourage and keep each other on track.

6. Constant reminder – I have set time alert to remind me to meditate. I have also read that successful people meditate and I want to be like them. So I will put a picture/pictures of some of these people who meditate at my work desk to remind myself of this intrinsic reason.

I wish you a memorable and blessed 2016. May all that you wish for come true.

Teacher Vinitha Ang is conducting vegetarian cooking classes on the next Sundays at Awareness Place Well-being Centre.

Sign up with her now if you would like to learn how to make delicious and healthy CNY dishes like Yu Sheng (no artificial colouring, no additives!), Lotus Leaf Fragrant Brown Rice, Peng Chai and herbal dessert.

We want to celebrate World Vegan Day (1 November) with you by giving our loving customers $5.00 gift certificate! You can redeem this one-time discount code when you shop at BGO Ecoshop from now till 2 November 2014. This is on top of our items on Specials and Quick Sale!

A good healthy diet can’t be without nuts. But all nuts are not equal.

Sprouted nuts release more nutritional energy – get more with less!

Vegan House’s sprouted nuts are germinated to release more nutritional value. These nuts are soaked for 24 hours in osmosis filtered water, then dehydrated slowly at low temperature and humidity. This slow process destroys the enzymes inhibitors in the nuts and allows the body’s enzymes to digest the nuts better.

While sprouting nuts are time-consuming, it makes the nuts more nutritious, crunchier and much easier to digest!

Sunbiotics Just 4 Kids is honored to introduce 2 potent probiotic powders enhanced with organic apple and organic banana with yacon – renowned for it’s prebiotic properties that you and your kids will love. Yacon contains naturally occurring nutrients known as fructooligosaccharides that stimulate the growth and activity of probiotics (beneficial bacteria). In addition to potent superfoods, each serving of Sunbiotics boats 5 billion CFUs of 5 well researched stable probiotic strains. Sunbiotics may help restore a proper balance of flora in the digestive system depleted by stress, antibiotics, and gastrointestinal disturbances.

Sunbiotics is the maker of the worlds most pure, completelyvegetarian, certified organic probiotic supplement on the market and they’ve just come out with a probiotic powder specific to children. Sunbiotics Just4Kids is a blend of 5 highly potent non-dairy probiotic strains in a ratio specifically suited for the GI tracts of children.

The following probiotic strains are included:

Lactobacillus Acidophilus – breaks down nutrients for the body to use and creates by products such as lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide that create a hostile environment to the organisms that are unhealthy for you.

Bifidobacterium Bifidum – aids in the synthesis of B-complex vitamins and vitamin K in the intestines. It also promotes bacterial balance and optimal digestion.

Bifidobacterium Lactis – helps fight off some of the damage caused by bad bacteria found in the body and also aids in digestion.

Bifidobacterium Longum – maintains a normal digestive tract, inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria, and also boost the immune system.

In addition to the actual strains of probiotics, the only other ingredients you’ll find are organic, low temperature dehydrated heirloom fruit powder, andorganic yacon root. Nothing else is added, pure and simple. The product currently comes in two versions that any child will love: Apple and Banana. Both flavors are sweet and delicious and blend easily into juices and smoothies, can be incorporated into raw energy bars, bliss balls or no bake cookies, and can even be sprinkled over cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, and chopped fruit.

The product is also enhanced by the addition of a prebiotic. Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients that help support healthy probiotic activity, and are often times a missing link in todays probiotic market. The development team at Sunbiotics was sure to address the issue in the most organic and natural way possible by utilizing yacon root. Yacon is a South American superfood root vegetable that contains a form of sugar called oligosaccharide. This sugar isn’t utilized by our bodies for energy,
however the beneficial bacteria in our GI system love it and thrive on it. The inclusion of this ingredient serves to increase the potency and efficacy of the product.

Allergy Info: Produced in a facility that also processes tree nuts & seeds but no grains, peanuts, soy or dairy.

As the year comes to an end and the weather starts to get a little chilly (and rainy for this part of the world), one’s immunity can get low. It is important to strengthen our immunity so that we don’t succumb to sickness such as the dreaded flu bug.

The Lapacho tea is a natural antibiotic which means we get immunity boost while drinking tea!

The Pau d ‘Acro tree grows in many parts of South America and was treasured by the ancinent Guarani healers for its inner bark. This tribe from the rainforest of Paraguay discovered it strengthened the body’s natural defenses when made into a tea.

A all-natural tea that can help you reduce inflammation and pain, and boost immunity. The inner bark of the Lapacho tree yields naphthoquinones, anthraquinones and other phytopharmaceuticals that generate remarkable health-promoting benefits. Scientific research has shown these substances to be: anti-inflammatory anti-viral anti-oxidant anti-bacterial anti-fungal anti-yeast parasiticidal. Drinking lapacho tea regularly will diminish the chance of developing arthritis, diabetes, bowel problems, bladder infections and cancer. It will also increase blood and bone marrow health.

Pine Pollen is nature’s most potent food—the ultimate superfood—containing a full spectrum of nutrients with specific anti-aging compounds. Pine Pollen is also the most potent source of phyto-androgen available, nourishing your body like no other food or supplement can, while restoring optimum hormone levels. Eliminate your need for supplements—the health benefits of Pine Pollen are unsurpassed and unparalleled, you will be amazed.

Only a food containing such potent doses of so many nutrients can so thoroughly improve your health. Only Raw Pine Pollen contains such potent nutrients.

Raw Pine Pollen is by far the post potent form of Pine Pollen, and is the product recommended to everyone. In the raw form, all of the vitamins, minerals, and the phyto-nutrients like MSM, SOD, the phyto-androgens (Androstenedione, Testosterone, Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), & Androsterone) and the living enzymes and co-enzymes, stay intact. Because Pine Pollen works synergistically, consuming the pure, raw powder delivers the most profound health benefits and effects.

RawGuru’s Raw Wild Pine Pollen is over 99% digestible, ensuring that you absorb and experience all the health benefits of Pine Pollen. In comparison, bee pollen is estimated at 5% digestibility.

Soap Nuts is a safe and natural laundry soap and versatile household cleanser.

BGO Ecoshop (www.BGOecoshop.com) now stocks eco-friendly ECOCERT Certified organic Soap Nuts, available in 250g, 50g and 1kg packs. They are of Sapindus Mukorossi species, free from pesticides and de-seeded. And it comes with 2 cotton wash bags and 1 instruction booklet.

Product Description

Grown on trees, Soap Nuts is a fruit that contains Saponin, a natural surfactant, in its shell. When the shells come in contact with water, it releases Saponin that removes dirt and grime. Since centuries ago, people around the world have been using Soap Nuts for their laundry, personal body and hair wash and household cleaning. And today, it is an Eco-friendly alternative to synthetic detergent.

Soap Nuts Is Great For Anyone

Soap Nuts is safe for your health and for our environment. It is a gentle choice for people who are allergic to chemical residue on clothes from detergent. It is safe for babies and children. For people with skin condition such as Eczema, Soap Nuts will not aggravate the condition. And for anyone who wants a clean and safe home for their family, Soap Nuts is an excellent option.

Benefits Of Using Soap Nuts

Effective for laundry and suitable for all fabric types.

It leaves your laundry clean and soft, and it does not require fabric softener.

Low in suds, it is suitable for use with all types of washing machines including High Efficiency (HE) washers.

A safe and natural alternative to detergent for anyone.

Convenient to carry and use while travelling or camping.

Biodegradable and eco-friendly.

Versatile for all household cleaning.

How To Use Soap Nuts With Your Washing Machine

Put 6 whole shells (12 halves) into a cotton bag.

Soak it in a bowl of hot or warm water for at least 15 minutes.

Toss the bowl of liquid and soap nuts into your washing machine together with your clothes and start the wash cycle.

Remove soap nuts and let it air-dry. Re-use for your next 1-2 batch of laundry. Top up with new shells if desired.

How To Use Soap Nuts To Handwash Your Laundry

Put 6 whole shells (12 halves) into a cotton bag.

Soak it in a bowl of hot or warm water for at least 15 minutes.

Toss the bowl of liquid and Soap Nuts into your bucket and fill the bucket with water.

How To Use Soap Nut Liquid With Washer

Note: See below for instructions on making your own concentrated soap nut liquid.

Make Your Own Concentrated Soap Nut Liquid

Add 10 whole shells (20 halves) in 1.5 litres of water.

Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 30mins. (Or soak overnight)

Let it cool and then strain and store the liquid in an air-tight bottle.

Use within a week.

Note:

Use full strength or dilute with water as desired for house cleaning.

As soap nut liquid has no preservatives added, use the liquid within a week.

Make smaller batch of soap nut liquid if your usage is low. Simply reduce the recipe above in proportion.

Storing Soap Nuts

Soap Nuts are best stored in a dry and cool environment. If heat and moisture gets to them. it will pre-release its saponin and turn a little sticky. However, this does not affect their cleansing ability. Store them in an air-tight container and away from the sunlight and moisture if possible.

Customers’ Reviews:

Miley – May 8, 2013:

I‘m so glad your soapnuts comes in 1kg now, can’t get enough of it!

I have been using soapnuts for my laundry for more than 2.5 years now. There was no turning back since the day a tiny pack was gifted to me. And now, being a mother myself, i try not to expose my baby to harmful ingredients in products as much as possible. ‘am so glad i can use soapnuts for her laundry – chemical-free.

Agy – April 22, 2013:

I love using soap nuts. Ever since switching to these natural detergents, we’ve had no problems with itchy skin and my hubby’s hives have calmed down. What’s more, there is less packaging to worry out. I give them a 5 out of 5

One of the enjoyment of eating durians is to pry open the hard thorny shells yourself, revealing the yellow thick flesh and welcoming the strong scent of this King of Fruits.

Even our cat B.B. loves to eat durians.

When I was pregnant with my first child, my foetus was diagnosed to have intrauterine growth retardation. meaning she was showing signs of slow growth. This potential disorder naturally worried us as parents. I did a more detailed scan and thankfully there was no fetal genetic disorder diagnosed.

Nonetheless, we were at a loss, not knowing how we can help our baby gain weight quickly. Fortunately, my gynae recommended that I start to eat durians. Based on his experience, “Durians give big babies”. I must admit I was a bit skeptical about this initially but was more than willing to try as I like durians.

When I was young, my father used to buy big sacks of durians during the durian season (typically June till August) and sat the whole family around to have a durian feast. It was always an enjoyable feast but we never really know the benefits of eating durians. We did know that it is an expensive fruit and you either love it or hate it. Also, if you ate too much of durians, your body will feel “heatiness” and you will experience sore throat and such. That is why we often eat durians together with “cooling” fruits such as mangosteens (which happen to share the same harvest season as durians).

So back to my durian quest during my first pregnancy.

I took durians about once a week for a few months and to my pleasant surprise and relief, my baby did gain weight. In fact she gained weight so fast near my EDD that my gynae got worried that the baby will get too big and it will be a difficult birthing for me. In the end, my baby was delivered well and at a weight of 3.6 kg.

This episode got me interested in knowing more about the nutrition of durians.

Apparently, durians, like bananas and avocados, is a high energy fruit. 100g of its flesh provides 147 calories. It is also rich in minerals such as potassium (regulates heart rate and blood pressure) and vitamins (vitamin C for resistance against infectious agents and B-complex vitamins for breaking down nutrients and provide new energy).

So the next time you feel that you need to feel rejuvenated, take durians!

Green Cleaners’ ultra-concentrate formula will make more than 5 litres of diluted product. This means they can reduce their packaging, transportation footprint and plastic usage, whilst you save $$$$’s with cost effective cleaning solutions!

Now there’s no need to ever have harmful cleaning products in your home again! Feel great and make the change.

Get the Green Master Kit that comes with 6 concentrate cleaners + 6 dilution bottles for great convenience and savings!

Note from BGO Ecoshop: You can add some curry powder to the salad for more flavour.

Methods/steps

1) After cutting the carrots I mixed together all the ingredients for the dressing until completely incorporated. Added the dressing to the carrots, mixed by hand to coat and topped with the seeds and fresh Thai basil.

Description

Matcha, or finely milled green tea powder, has a rather strong, grass-like flavor on its own but blends beautifully with a sweet, creamy nut milk in this chia pudding recipe by Gena Hemshaw. Gena recommends adding fresh berries to this pudding and enjoying it for breakfast. What an amazing way to get loads of antioxidants, calcium, protein, and essential fatty acids.

Description

A densely pigmented soup made with a base of fresh beet root and avocado, seasoned with a hint of tamari, miso, fresh ginger, garlic and a dash of salt and pepper. Use hot water if you want something to warm the belly, or cold if you want a chilled soup. Top with cashew cream and a spinkling of pepitas!

Superfoods sale now on at http://www.BGOecoshop.com! 15% off most items till 30 July 2013. Free 6oz. Rawmio Chocolate Halvah for purchases over $120. While stocks last. Bundle Deals will be suspended during this promotion period.

Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a root vegetable grown high in the Peruvian Andes. It has been used as a food and medicine in South America for centuries. Well known for its ability to help enhance strength and endurance, it is said that the Incan warriors would consume maca before long journeys and even battles.

Cream maca – energy, vitality, fertility, balance of hormones

Cream coloured roots are the most widely grown and are favored in Peru for their enhanced sweetness and size.

Maca, whether the yellow/cream, red or black, can do all of the following:

Boost overall energy and vitality

Balance hormones for both men and women – this can support with menopause, acne, fertility, thyroid and other health problems related to the endocrine system.

Black maca is considered the strongest in energy and stamina-promoting properties, being both sweet and slightly bitter in taste. In a study from 2009 at the a Peruvian University, Black Maca was seen to be the best of all varieties for increasing sperm production motility and volume as well as for increasing libido. In 2011, 2 different studies, one from China and one from Peru found that Black Colored Maca helped laboratory mice improve their memory and concentration skills.

Red Maca (Lepidium meyenii or Lepidium peruvianum) is the rarest of all varieties of maca. It is sometimes called pink or purple maca, but is most generally referred to as “red maca.” Red maca is becoming popular with many people. It has a milder taste than cream coloured maca and has been clinically shown to reduce prostate size in rats.

A study done on red maca was published in the Journal Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology 2005; 3:5. In it 8 medical researchers report that over the course of 42 days: “Red Maca but neither Yellow/Cream nor Black Maca reduced significantly ventral prostate size in rats.“ The study also goes on to report that in under pyhtochemical analysis for 7 functional nutrient groups, “Highest peak values were observed for Red Maca, intermediate values for Yellow/Cream Maca and low values for Black Maca.”

Red maca has been shown, under phytonutrient analysis, to be higher in certain compounds that support the body in antioxidant and anti-tumoral activity. It has also been shown among all macas to contain somewhat higher levels of other pythonutrients including alkaloids, tannins, saponis and steroids.

In 2010 researchers from the Universidad Peruana, Lima published a study on the effects of maca on bone structure in rats that had had their ovaries removed. The conclusion was that both “Red and black maca have protective effects on bone architecture in OVX rats without showing estrogenic effects on uterine weight.”

How to take maca root power properly

Maca is an adaptogenic. An adaptogenic substance is one that demonstrates a nonspecific enhancement of the body’s ability to resist a stressor. Many herbs have exactly these properties.

It is not recommended that you take two or more adaptogenic herbs together. Only take one adaptogenic herb at a time. Also avoid taking dong quai, black cohosh, licorice root and fertility drugs with maca.

If you are taking any drugs, make sure you consult a health professional before taking maca.

Start with a small amount, 1/4 tsp. in the morning. You can repeat the same at night, always taken with meals or just before eating.

Do so for a week or two to notice any changes. Increase the dosage by another 1/4 tsp. if no changes have been noticed.

Maca has an effect on the endocrine system which balances hormone. Some people will notice a difference quicker, while others may take slightly longer.

You should not exceed three teaspoons a day and don’t take it all at once. The latest it should be taken is just before dinner, as it can affect sleep.

Most importantly, give your body a maca break once a month. If you have been on maca for a month, take a weekend off. If you have been taking it for 3 months or longer, take a full week off. This is to keep your body responsive to the phytonutrients.

I got invited to attend UBS Eco Fair on 14 June 2013. Sweng and I set up BGO Ecoshop booth there to introduce some Superfoods we were selling on our online store www.BGOecoshop.com. I also gave a demo on how to make heathy smoothie and I chose the two fruits that I often use – avocado and banana.

The following are the ingredients that I used for the smoothie workshop. Note that you can just use avocado and banana together with any liquid (any milk, water etc) that you prefer. The addition of herbs, nut butter and yoghurt are optional.

Avocado is a great fruit and it is a pity that some people avoid it because of its high fat content. But the truth is that we need fats as a source of energy and support the function of our nerves and brain. The key is to substitute saturated fats and trans fats with nutrient dense fruits like avocado which offers mono and polyunsaturated fat content.

Besides beneficial fats, avocado also gives us good amount of carotenoids, proteins and it is anti-inflammatory. This means avocadoes can help prevent or mitigate against both osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis.

I can’t tell you a fruit that is more commonly used in smoothies than bananas. It is such a versatile nutrient-packed fruit and is often used as baby’s first weaning food. Naturally fat- cholesterol- and sodium-free, bananas are also a good source of potassium (helps our heart beat, reduce heart disease), dietary fibre, magnesium (transmission of nerve impulse, aids absorption of calcium) and vitamins B6 (aids healthy nerve and brain functions) and C.

Pineapple (optional)

Normally, I would limit my smoothie to just two fruits. But I saw some pineapples idling in my fridge on the day I made the smoothie, so I added them as well, as they add a sweet tropical taste to my smoothie. Pineapples are loaded with vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. It is also rich in fiber and calories. On top of it all, this fruit is low in fat and cholesterol. All the nutrients it contains promote good health.

Coconut water (replaceable with milk or water)

I opted for fresh coconut water (the clear type, not to be confused with coconut milk, which also has its health benefits, but that’s another future post.) Coconut water contains easily digested carbohydrate in the form of sugar and electrolytes. It has fewer calories, less sodium, and more potassium than a sports drink.

If you are using milk instead of coconut water, I suggest using lactose-free milk such as oat milk (high protein and fibre content), quinoa milk (good amount of amino acids) and soy milk (high in essential fatty acids). These are more easily digestible than dairy milk and contain more health benefits.

Parsley (optional)

I included herbs like parsley because I wanted to zest up the smoothie which I knew would have a sweet taste.

Parsley is often used as garnish but it turns out to be quite a good addition to smoothie as well. It is rich in many vital vitamins (Vitamin C, B 12, K and A) and keeps our immune system strong, tones our bones and heals the nervous system too.

Regular use of parsley can help control your blood pressure. Pregnant mums will welcome the folic acid in this herb.

Mint (optional)

I blended a small amount of mint leaves to give the smoothie a fresh minty aroma.

Mint is a great appetizer, and it promotes digestion. It also soothes stomachs in cases of indigestion or inflammation.

Yoghurt (optional)

I added some yoghurt for added creaminess in the smoothie and also to introduce some healthy live cultures (probiotics) to our intestines. These aid in digestion as well as giving us calcium, vitamin B-2, B-12, potassium and magnesium.

Almond nut butter (optional)

I filled the bottom of the smoothie cup with 2 teaspoons of Rawmio raw & vegan Almond Crunch (almond nut butter with added raw cacao nibs, raw coconut, sweetened with coconut sugar, flavoured with vanilla beans and Himalayan salt). I also smeared half the sides of the smoothie cup with the back of the spoon such that the chocolate almond nut butter is visible on the outside of the glass (looks nice and tempting!).

I chose the crunch series of Rawmio’s nut butter, as it provides cacao nibs to munch on. Also the chocolatey taste goes well with avocado and banana. You can add nuts to your smoothie to have the crunch too.

Almonds are a good fiber source and also contain protein. Because of their high monounsaturated fat content, they are a healthy food choice. Almonds or almond butter provide us with vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium and phosphorus. You can opt for other nut butters, just make sure that they are processed in low heat and not added with unhealthy ingredients such as additives, excessive salt, sugar or saturated fats.

Unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)

Used as toppings on our smoothie. Coconut flakes give a distinct tropical flavour! You can swop for other toppings such as chocolate chips, cacao nibs or nuts.

Recipe (serves 2 full cups, or 5 small cups)

1. Cut one banana and one avocado into small pieces. (You can add more bananas or avocado or other fruits like pineapples according to your taste preference. More bananas or pineapples, more sweetness.)

2. Blend the fruits after adding some liquids (coconut water, milk or plain water). Add a little liquid (a few tablespoons) at a time. If the fruits seem to have a hard time churning, you need to add more liquid.

3. Tear the herbs into smaller bits and blend. Start with a tablespoonful of each and adjust amount according to your taste.

4. If you happen to add too much liquid and prefer your smoothie to be thicker and creamier, add a tablespoon of yoghurt.

5. Prepare your serving cups. Scoop 2 teaspoons of nut butter into each cup and smear half the cup with the back of the spoon.

6. Pour in smoothie.

7. Sprinkle the top of the smoothie with raw unsweetened coconut flakes for flavour.

Note:

If you intend to chill your smoothie before serving, then add the nut butter only before serving, on top of the smoothie. Otherwise, the nut butter will harden at the bottom of the smoothie upon chilling.

Tip:

You can make your smoothie beforehand and freeze them in ice cubes. When you need to have them, just blend them with some liquid.

The generously-sized (24″ x 24″) Large bag comes with two closures – a zipper and a drawstring. Use both to ensure that odours are contained in the bag. The drawstring can also be used to hang the bag or to cinch it around a pail.

Turn inside out for proper washing. Wash and dry with your cloth diapers at normal temperatures in washer and dryer. Please avoid fabric softeners, chlorine bleach, or any other whitening agents.

The Fabulous Wet Bags are made with careful attention to detail in Bummis’ own factory in Montreal, so that good quality and fair labour practices are assured. The fabrics and components Bummis produce with are all sourced in North America and are guaranteed lead, phthalate and BPA free.

The World’s Healthiest Foods site is started by The George Mateljan Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation. The site contains many useful articles & information, including recipes relating to health and food.

What I like most is the over 100 quick and easy recipes they posted (cooking times of 30 minutes or less). Not only are the recipes healthy, what makes it different from most recipe sites is that they have a Recipe Assistant where you can select multiple foods to include and/or exclude as well as nutrients required, and voila! The right recipe recommendation pops up for you!

Also, what is sweet and really useful is when you are browsing a recipe, there will be highlighted ingredients that when you click on, it shows you additional information on that ingredients, like how to make broth, and how to cut and prepare tomatoes, carrots etc. Very useful!

*Lentils are legumes that are great cholesterol-lowering fibre foods. They have beneficial effects on the digestive system and heart, and also help to stabilise bood sugar. They also provide iron for energy (good for children, adolescent, pregnant and lactating women).

This is an embedded video mentioned in our previous blog post on how you can sprout your own nuts at home, dehydrate them and blend them into delicious nut butters. Do not be over-zelaous in your blending as high heat will destroy the enzymes and nutrients in the butters.

“I seek out traditional whole foods rather than highly refined meat substitutes. I look for products that have been sprouted, soaked, or fermented to help break down the indigestible cellulose in plant cell walls.”

– Ultra-marathoner, Scott Jurek, in his book “Eat & Run”

We have often been asked what is the difference between the normal nut butter that we sell and the sprouted nut butter, which we also have.

Well, I am sure most of us have had the experience of sprouting mung beans before. Sprouting of nuts really means about the same thing. The nuts are soaked for some time (usually 24 hours) causing them to begin to germinate, before they are slowly dried at low temperature. Low temperature food processing of not more than 40-46 degrees celsius is considered ideal (hence what we call “raw food”) as high heat will kill the enzymes and nutrition that is beneficial to us.

Though more time-consuming, sprouting makes nuts more digestible, as the process destroys the enzyme inhibitors, allowing the body’s natural enzymes to digest the nuts more easily.

Sprouting and slow dehydration also releases the full nutritional content of the nuts and makes the nuts crunchier. Also, because of the digestibility of sprouted nuts, these nuts are suitable for people with nut allergies.

I have found a video that illustrates how you can make your own raw sprouted almond butter at home. You will need a good blender, a dehydrator and above all, patience and a good deal of time.

In the video above, you will notice that the resulting nut butter is not exactly smooth. Rawmio & Dastony stone ground raw nut butters achieved their lusciously smooth texture by grinding them in stone grinders, which ensures not only a silky smooth texture, but also that the grinding process does not get too heated such that nutrients and enzymes are lost.

Here’s another video showing how you can stone grind your nuts (best sprouted beforehand) at home using a stone grinder. Again, you will need some patience and time, but you can get raw stone ground nut butters adjusted to your own palate.

If you don’t wish to get a dehydrator and a stone grinder and spend the time, but still want to get to savour raw organic vegan stone ground nut butters, you can purchase them straight from our store www.BGOecoshop.com.

Located at 30A Smith Street Singapore 058944, Chef Cookery Studio is a culinary learning place where one can learn practical tips from experienced professional chefs.

In fact, you can find out one of our favourite raw vegan cuisine teachers, Ms. Vinitha Ang having her classes there.

Ms. Vinitha Ang is trained in nutrition & psychology with a master degree in heath care management. A vegetarian herself, she formerly owned NutriHub – the Organic Fusion Café and founded Nutrihub Culinary Art in June 2012. Since then, Ms. Vinitha Ang has conducted various classes such as vegan baking, vegan Thai, Vegan Japanese and vegan Asian cuisines.

Can’t see a bundle deal that you want? Choose a combination of Dastony, Rawmio, Rawguru or Sunbiotics super foods that meets a minimum of S$80 in total*, and we will apply a 20% discount on your total!

Email us at bgosingapore@gmail.com with your order details. Payment by interbank transfer or credit card / Paypal.

I have had the chance to taste NutriHub’s vegetarian curry once before at their previous cafe at Chinatown and was so satiated by it that I wrote a post on it.

This time round, Vinitha used cashew nut milk instead of soy milk to make the curry. Traditionally coconut milk is used to make curries, but coconut milk has high saturated fat content, so soy milk and nut milk are much healthier alternatives.

The vegetarian curry turns out as good as the last time I tasted it. Home-made goodness!

Our next dish is vegan Pad Thai using organic rice noodles. Look how beautiful the noodles turned out to be! The taste and smell of lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves are sublime.

Some sprouted beans are served on top as garnish. These beans were sprouted by Vinitha and they tasted really crunchy! Vinitha said we should cut and eat the sprouts while they are young and not wait till the leaves appear. I have mentioned briefly in my previous blog on why sprouting nuts and seeds and even grains is good for us. I will explore in another blog in more detail about sprouting.

Next, we learn to make Tofu Green Curry and Basil Olive Brown Rice.

Vinitha likes to use organic sunflower oil and organic grape seed oil in her cooking as these oils are lighter. I also learned that it is best to soak rice ( be it brown rice or conventional rice) before we cook them, to remove the acids and possible arsenic elements. Also, to make our rice even mroe delicious, we can put some rock salt or sea salt, as well as some oil into our rice before we cook them.

Lastly, all of us get to pack some of the yummy food back to enjoy with our families.

I will be back for the next couple of lessons (8th & 15th Dec), which are on vegan baking. I also got to know that there will be additional NutriRaw™ Vegan Raw Asian Cuisine (Vegan Rojak!) class on the 22nd Dec. Please refer to NutriHub’s blog for more details. Remember, BGO Ecoshop’s friends get to enjoy 10% discount when you sign up!

Ms Vinitha Ang Siew Teen is a Registered Nurse with more than 20 years of experience in nursing & allied health care profession. She is also trained in nutrition & psychology with a master degree in health care management. Having nursed her parents thru’ their battle with cancer, she decided to change her diet & lifestyle in 2004.

With her personal experience and her passion to help more people to lead a healthier life, she started to enrich her knowledge in nutrition & psychology in 2004. Over these few years, she has developed the Holistic Approach for Cancer Nutritional Support which she has shared & helped her relatives, friends & customers. She also provides nutrition assessment and guidance for customers in weight management, disease management and detox program.

Besides conducting Nutri courses, Vinitha also customises and conducts group culinary lessons. Gather a few friends and learn from Teacher Vinitha how to cook healthy raw vegan food!

BGO Ecoshop is now stocked with healthy nut & seed butters (free from refined sugar, oils and salt) that are not only certified organic, but also stone ground and sprouted. These healthy raw butters are so difficult to find in Singapore!

Sprouting almonds in mineral-enhanced water deactivates enzymes that inhibit digestion and also enhances nutrient absorption. Sprouted nuts are a viable choice for people who are allergic to nuts.

We introduce to you two great brands of butters:

Dastony soaks and germinates their fresh, raw, organic almonds in purified water enhanced with ocean minerals for two days. They then slowly stone-grind the sprouted almonds to achieve a silky smooth almond butter, ensuring that the almond butter never exceeds 118 degrees. The result is a superfood with all valuable nutrients preserved: healthy fats, fiber, protein, and vitamins and minerals. Eat right out of the jar, spread on toast, add to smoothies, and more…

Rawmio Almond Chocolate Spreads are a decadent handcrafted raw vegan treat that will satisfy your sweet, and every other tooth. Available in 3 delicious flavors; Original, Silk, and Crunch. Rawmio Original stone-grinds organic raw almonds, organic cacao nibs, and coconut crystals for a wickedly delicious, smooth dark chocolate spread we know you will devour. Rawmio Silk is our twist on a white chocolate spread. We add coconut and cacao butter to give it a ‘milky’ flavor. Rawmio Crunch is somewhere in the middle with a nice crunch. Imagine a perfectly sweetened milk chocolate spread with bits of almonds – the texture is just right.

The sky was pretty clear last Saturday, 26 Sept (bye bye, haze!) at the Marina Barrage and we connected with so many like-minded souls who came to support Singapore’s inaugural EarthFest. We would like to thank many of you who dropped by our booth to talk to us and sampled our products. We have been to quite a few fairs and bazaars and I must say, this is probably the most organised one we have attended (kudos to Michael Broadhead and his team of volunteers!). It took months (almost a year, I heard) of preparation and coordination and we really hope the takeaway was good for everyone who came. We need events like these to remind us and people around us the pressing need to pay attention to environment protection.

Our new Japanese are also very well-received. The Seaweed Snacks Teriyaki were sold out that day (still have just a few boxes left on our online store). Tasters like the fact that these seaweed snacks do not taste too salty. The Genmai brown rice crackers were well-liked too. Children couldn’t help taking more than a few samples! 🙂 What better way to make children take healthy snacks?

We were really delighted that there were quite many visitors who were intrigued by the Buddha Board. People like the quality of the product and the smoothness the brush felt across the board. This is the corner where children lingers the most, unleashing their creative minds!

We didn’t have much time to explore other part of the event (I was at the stall 100% of the time), so it was great that people came forward to make connections with us. One was Way Ling at Muddy Hands. Check out their FB to know more about their Eat Real community and watch the fun video showing juicing on a bike at the EarthFest.

This weekend, NParks is offering a myriad of activities by talented artists, this night event will serenade and evoke the creativity in you. Enjoy the medley of performances, poetry recitals, workshops, interactive installations and the art market. Free admission!